American Family Insurance - Bending the Rules so a Claim can be REJECTED.

Completely dissatisfied with American Family Insurance. Luckily, I do not have a policy with them, but I have recently had to deal with their claims department, and their service is terrible.

Let me share my story. Earlier this week, while I was at work, the windows of our office building were being cleaned by a contracting company. While this work was being done, an employee of the contracting company was moving a ladder so that he might clean some of the windows on the second level of the building. While moving the ladder, the wind picked up a little bit, which knocked the ladder out of his hands, and caused it to fall on my car. They soon notified the building management so that they could be held responsible for the damage to my car. The contracting business owner was helpful from the beginning, taking full responsibility for the accidental damages caused by his employee. He filed a claim with the insurance company that covers his business (American Family Insurance), and said they would be contacting me to take care of the damages for my car.

Too bad it wasn't that simple.

Upon receiving my call from American Family Insurance, they informed me that they would not cover any of the damage expenses for my car to be fixed, because it was considered "damages that were caused by weather conditions". I immediately called the contracting business owner, letting him know that American Family Insurance would not cover any of the damages to my vehicle. He then called his AFI agent, as well as the AFI claim agent that contacted me, and said that the situation was completely his employee's fault, and that they should be paying for the damages, that's why he has insurance for his business. American Family Insurance refused to budge on their stance, and proceeded to tell the business owner that they would have covered the damages had he said that the wind played no part in the accident. So apparently it was better to lie about a situation so that AFI insurance would cover the costs of the accident, rather than tell the truth when it was still a person who was at fault. The employee DROPPED THE LADDER. There wasn't a hurricane that threw the ladder at my car, there was a gust of wind that knocked a ladder out of someone's hands, and it then hit my car. HE DROPPED THE LADDER.

Unfortunate that American Family Insurance Company takes the easy way out, rather than owning up to the situation and paying for the damages. I suppose they would rather lose the trust of their policy holders rather than pay a small claim.

This review is a subjective opinion of a user.

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AnonymousJun 22#1176468

If wind blew the ladder, it's covered under the comprehensive portion of your automobile coverage. If the employee dropped or threw the ladder, entirely different situation. That's how every property damage insurance contract reads. The insurance company made their determination on contract language. Period. That's not bending rules, that's interpreting a contract, correctly. Sorry you're having trouble understanding that, but contract language for these circumstances is very clear. You're not being done wrong.If you were opening your vehicle door and a gust of wind took it out if your hands causing it to hit the vehicle beside you, that would be covered under the other vehicle owner's comprehensive coverage under their auto policy. If you opened your door and hit their vehicle with your door, accidently or purposely, your liability coverage under your policy would cover them. Simple contract language.